In addition to the Patriots being in the middle of the pack in terms of total yards allowed, at 14th in the league, the Pats are 14th against the pass and 24th against the run. And in addition to that, the Pats will be without All-Pro defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and All-Pro linebacker Jerod Mayo.

The Jets’ offensive line is very good, but they did not hold their own against the Steelers. Rookie quarterback Geno Smith was constantly under pressure, which in turn led to costly turnovers in the red zone by Smith with two red zone interceptions.

Smith is a good quarterback who has extreme poise and confidence, especially for a rookie. The offensive line must use this to their advantage, and by giving him just enough time, Smith has proven that he can do the rest. When the offensive line does not give him enough time, Smith then begins to be a rattled rookie quarterback that we have seen during most of their losses.

For example, take the Atlanta Falcons game into consideration. Smith was not contested nearly as much as he was during the Steelers game, which was why he was able to have such a good game. The Falcons’ defense is also better than the Steelers’ defense, on paper at least.

There will be many keys for a Jet victory this Sunday, but as far as the offense is concerned, they need to keep up with the Patriots’ offense. And in order to do so they need to score points, which means the offensive line must play well.